Application No. 10/567,929
Reply to Office Action of February 17, 2009
IN THE CLAIMS
The claims are as follows:
Claim 1 (Previously presented): A photovoltaic device, comprising a composition of
carbon nanotubes and of at least one organic hole conductor, wherein the band gap of said
carbon nanotubes lies in the range of from about 0.5 to about 1 eV.
Claim 2 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a first electrode on one side of said composition of carbon nanotubes and of at least
one organic hole conductor, said first electrode having a first work function, and
- a second electrode on another side of said composition of carbon nanotubes and of
at least one organic hole conductor, said second electrode having a higher work function than
said first work function.
Claim 3 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one organic hole conductor is a conjugated polymer or a blend of at least two conjugated
polymers.
Claim 4 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
carbon nanotubes are a mixture of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes.
Claim 5 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1 , wherein said
carbon nanotubes are a mixture of multi-walled and single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Claim 6 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein the carbon
nanotubes have a diameter in the range of from 0.5 nm to 2 nm.
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Application No. 10/567,929
Reply to Office Action of February 17, 2009
Claim 7 (Canceled).
Claim 8 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1 , wherein the band
gap of said at least one hole conductor lies in the range of from about 1 eV to 3 eV.
Claim 9 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said hole
conductor is selected from the group comprising semiconducting organic materials with a
band gap above 1 eV and a 7T-orbital higher in energy than the highest occupied molecular
orbital (HOMO) of said carbon nano tubes.
Claim 10 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition of carbon nanotubes and of at least one organic hole conductor comprises a
mixture of carbon nanotubes and at least one hole conductor.
Claim 1 1 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition is a two-layer-system, wherein said at least one organic hole conductor is in one
layer and said carbon nanotubes are in another layer.
Claim 12 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition is a multiple-layer-system, wherein said at least one organic hole conductor and
said carbon nanotubes are in alternating layers.
Claim 13 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 2, wherein said
carbon nanotubes are vertical with respect to one of the electrodes.
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Application No. 10/567,929
Reply to Office Action of February 17, 2009
Claims 14 (Canceled).
15 (Withdrawn): The device according to claim 2, wherein said carbon nanotubes
have been horizontally aligned.
Claim 16 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one organic hole conductor is selected from the group consisting of:
polymethacrylates and derivatives,
polyaniline and derivatives,
polyphenylene and derivatives,
polyphenylene vinyl ene and derivatives,
polythiophene and derivatives,
copolymers of triphenyl diamine derivatives and trimethoxyvinylsilane,
poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT: PSS),
polyacetylene and derivatives thereof,
polyparaphenylene and derivatives thereof,
polyp yrrole and derivatives thereof,
polyparaphenylene sulfide and derivatives thereof,
polycarbazole and derivatives thereof,
polyisothianaphene and derivatives thereof,
poly(l,6-heptadiyne) and derivatives thereof, and
polyquinoline and derivatives thereof
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Application No. 10/567,929
Reply to Office Action of February 17, 2009
Claim 17 (Previously presented): An organic solar cell comprising the device
according to claim 1 .
Claim 18 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first
and/or said second electrode is a film or layer of a transparent material.
Claim 19 (Withdrawn): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first or second
electrode is a metallic electrode.
Claim 20 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first
and/or said second electrode is coated with a layer of fluoride or acetate or a combination of
fluoride and acetate.
Claim 21 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 2, further
comprising a substrate coated with said first or said second electrode, wherein the substrate is
one selected from the group consisting of a solid inorganic crystalline substrate, a glassy
substrate, a metal foil substrate, a stainless steel foil substrate, and a polymer substrate.
Claim 22 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 18, further
comprising a flexible polymer substrate coated with said first or said second electrode.
Claim 23 (Previously presented): A combination of the device according to claim 1
with a circuit, wherein the device acts as an internal power supply.
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Application No. 10/567,929
Reply to Office Action of February 17, 2009
Claim 24 (Previously presented): A solar cell comprising the device according to
claim 1.
Claim 25 (Withdrawn): A method of generating electricity from light, wherein a
device according to claim 1 or a combination according to claim 23 is irradiated by light,
whereupon a photo-initiated charge-separation process and subsequently a charge-transport
process occurs, and wherein further electricity is recovered from said device or from said
combination.
Claim 26 (Withdrawn): A method of producing the device according to claim 2,
wherein the at least one organic hole conductor is directly grown on said carbon nanotubes
("overgrown nanotubes").
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